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Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year's Eve! As we near the end of the year, I love to look through the year's recipes and pick favorites with my husband. It's sometimes not easy to narrow it down, but here are ten of our favorites!

Mocha Granola - Hands down, our favorite granola recipe. I originally made this because I knew my husband would like it, but as soon as I tried it, I couldn't stop eating it as well! Great with milk or on top of yogurt. When my husband left for training for a month, I packed him a huge bag, and, even at the end of the month, he still wasn't sick of it.

Cinnamon-Sugar Pull Apart Bread- Our new Christmas brunch tradition. I think this tastes like the inside of a cinnamon roll. Definitely not for everyday but this is an amazing treat for breakfast.

Homemade Greek Yogurt - I've made this so much in the past year, it just had to make the list! A cheaper way to have Greek yogurt and just as tasty. It does take some inactive time but is super simple to make.

Watermelon Feta Salad - Probably my favorite salad from the year! I made this so much this summer. I'm a huge watermelon fan and I just love the combination of sweet watermelon, salty feta, crunchy almonds and a tangy lemon vinaigrette.

BBQ Pulled Pork with Homemade BBQ sauce - Not only was this one of our favorites, but it was one of the top viewed recipes on the blog this year as well! (I try not to be jealous that the top recipe on From Anne's Kitchen was,
in fact, NOT from my kitchen but rather, it was my husband's guest
post on this rosemary boule bread...but this BBQ Pulled Pork recipe was the second runner-up!) We love pulled pork and I love anything that can cook all day in a slow cooker. While serving it with homemade barbeque isn't necessary (we still have bottled versions we like), it does take this recipe over the top!

Garlic Bread Pizza Crust - Our favorite pizza crust (and we love our pizza). Even if you didn't add in all the garlic, I found this recipe creates a wonderfully light crust. In fact, I have 2 servings of this dough in our freezer for some last-minute meals!

Arroz con Pollo - While this can take some time, this is an amazingly flavorful meal. It's a take on the Spanish chicken and rice dish that simmers together to create wonderful flavors (I just throw in extra veggies to make this a one-pot meal!)

Cheesy Garlic Rolls - This was an attempt to recreate an appetizer we had in New York City after a college basketball game at Madison Square Garden. (It cheered our spirits after Duke beat Washington.) We had found a great pizza place to have lunch, and, while the pizza was delicious, the cheesy garlic rolls were just phenomenal. These homemade rolls were a close second to the original!

Gorgonzola Smashed Potatoes - I haven't missed many foods being pregnant for much of 2012, but I have definitely missed these gorgonzola smashed potatoes! They have just the right amount of flavor from the gorgonzola cheese and a great texture. When baby girl comes, these will finally make it back into the rotation again! (The picture might not be much but don't let that stop you!)

Blackberry Cobbler - When my husband mentioned he was a blackberry fan, I went searching for a classic blackberry dessert and found this cobbler. It's not fancy but it's just fantastic (with or without ice cream). A must for every summer!